Portland is one weird, quirky little city. And that’s just the way we like it. We have bold murals proclaiming this sentiment, and an abundance of places and attractions that are testament to our city’s oddball personality. But none are quite as weird as the weather machine that stands in the middle of Pioneer Square, a contraption that’s been forecasting the weather for decades. The next time you’re wondering about the day’s forecast, skip the apps and local news channels, and simply consult the trusty old weather machine in Portland, Oregon.
Portland, Oregon is known for keepin’ it weird. That’s just the way it is.
bikesharedude/Flickr
So it only makes sense that the epicenter of PDX is also the epicenter of, well, the weird.
4kodiak/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Pioneer Square is full of fun, quirky oddities.
Nick/Google Local
You never know what you might find here!
Jennifer M/Google Local
But in terms of weird, this contraption takes the cake.
Los Paseos/Flickr
This is a weather machine, and it’s been predicting the weather in Rose City for decades.
opus2008/Flickr
Designed and constructed by Omen Design Group Inc., the Weather Machine is a lumino kinetic bronze sculpture and columnar machine that serves as a weather beacon for Portlanders.
Another Believer/Wikimedia Commons
Every day at noon, something magical happens. The weather machine comes to life: a fanfare plays, lights flash, and a totem appears, signifying the forecast for the following 24-hour period.
dog97209/Flickr The Dragon, for example, indicates impending rainy or stormy weather.
(Because you never can tell what the weather’s going to be like here – and you wouldn’t want to be caught without proper gear or attire!)
Jeremie Keithley/Google Local
This 30-foot-tall attraction has been keeping Portlanders in the know on the daily forecast since 1988.
Michael Gonzales/Google Local
It’s not all witchcraft and sorcery, either; weather predictions are made based on information obtained by employees of Pioneer Courthouse Square from the National Weather Service and the Department of Environmental Quality. So this is one very informed weather machine!
King Leonidas/Google Local
Have you visited the weather machine in Portland, Oregon, before? Did it accurately predict the weather? This is a unique little spot that really speaks to the wonderfully weird nature of the Beaver State!
bikesharedude/Flickr
4kodiak/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Nick/Google Local
Jennifer M/Google Local
Los Paseos/Flickr
opus2008/Flickr
Another Believer/Wikimedia Commons
dog97209/Flickr
The Dragon, for example, indicates impending rainy or stormy weather.
Jeremie Keithley/Google Local
Michael Gonzales/Google Local
King Leonidas/Google Local
Looking for another only-in-Oregon attraction to visit? This roadside attraction in Redmond quite literally rocks!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Pioneer Square South, Portland, OR 97204, USA
